Pantami, Danbatta Call for Promotion of Indigenous Digital Solutions

Pantami, Danbatta Call for Promotion of Indigenous Digital Solutions

…As NCC rewards winners of Covid-19 Virtual Hackathon

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has advocated the need for all stakeholders to join hands with the Ministry and its agencies in their quest to promote the development of indigenous digital solutions in Nigeria.

Pantami made the call during the presentation of N3 million prize money to each of the three promising startups that emerged winners in the COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon organized by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Abuja on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

The Virtual Hackathon was initiated by NCC to ignite the Nigerian youths to develop adaptable and innovative digital solutions that can address some of the challenges that have come about as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The start-ups who made it to the top three are Elizade University Team, Primed E-Health Solutions and Cyberfleet. The Elizade University Team’s tech solution is an Automated Temperature Scanner (ATS), a device designed to conduct automatic temperature screening and contact tracing of persons with body temperature above the normal level for human beings.

Primed E-Health developed a mobile and web solution called SmartClinic, which can link a patient-based mobile health app with a hospital-based information management system while ‘KlassConnect’ by Cyberfleet is an online platform that can be deployed by schools to continue with teaching and learning activities regardless of any health challenges that may prevent face-to-face physical interactions.

Speaking at the event, Pantami commended the leadership of the Commission for embarking on the tech contest. He said the initiative is not only in tandem with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) but also aligns with the implementation of the Executive Order 003, which aims to promote indigenous content development and patronage in Nigeria.

“No country will develop without taking deliberate decisions to promote its indigenous solutions to solve national problems. Through this contest, the NCC has demonstrated its resolve to drive the Ministry’s efforts in leveraging indigenous digital solutions to address challenges thrown up by COVID-19 pandemic and beyond,” the Minister said.

The COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon is a follow-up to the first hackathon by the Commission, which culminated in the hosting of an ‘ICT Innovation, Competition/Exhibition Forum’ at the Lagos Campus of Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) in December, 2019. At the end of the maiden edition, three (3) Startups namely, Quataloog, Wicrypt and Phaheem Nigeria Limited emerged winners.

The annual Hackathon is part of the strategic initiatives of the Commission to promote ICT innovation and investment in the Nigerian telecommunications sector and improve the nation’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.

Speaking earlier at the prize-giving ceremony, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC. Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the hackathon is expected to throw up innovative and adaptable solutions in five thematic areas namely health, community, productivity, economy and education.

Danbatta stated that the Commission is committed to encourage innovation and has regularly sponsored Nigerian youths with innovative ideas to various competitions organised by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and other international bodies.

“The NCC, has in the past two years, facilitated similar ICT-based innovations and research competitions among tertiary institutions in the country” he said, while reiterating the NCC’s commitment to driving indigenous digital innovations to address national challenges.

Director, Research and Development, Dr. Henry Nkemadu, stated that the Commission received 282 proposals and shortlisted 56 from which three promising startups emerged winners. He said the NCC will track the development of their ideas into full-blown products that can be deployed on a commercial basis.

NCC is committed to enabling home-grown digital innovative solutions that improve the quality of lives of the citizenry, create wealth and achieve the overall goals and objectives of the new digital economy agenda of the Federal Government.

Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde
Director, Public Affairs

Telcos Record 9,077 Service Outages in Q2 2020, Says NCC

Telcos Record 9,077 Service Outages in Q2 2020, Says NCC

…Charges stakeholders on telecom infrastructure protection

…Warns service providers against unwholesome practices

Major mobile network operators (MNOs) in the country recorded 9,077 cases of service outages on their networks in the second quarter of the year, resulting in unexpected disruptions to operators’ network quality of service (QoS) delivery and intermittent quality of experience (QoE) by the consumers, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said.

The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management (ECSM), NCC, Mr. Adeleke Adewolu, disclosed this in a presentation delivered during the first Virtual Telecoms Consumer Parliament (VTCP) hosted by the Commission recently in Abuja.

According to Adewolu, of the 9,077 service outages recorded by the operators, 3,585 were caused by incidences of denial of access to telecoms sites for maintenance, 4,972 were triggered by incidences of fibre cuts from construction activities and vandalism while 520 cases were as a result of incidences of generator and battery theft at sites.

A collocation Mast In Lagos State. picture by ANTHONY EMEKA NWOSU

Adewolu, however, noted that in a proactive step to mitigate the challenges, the Commission had swiftly responded by taking some major decisions to mitigate any unforeseen challenges that may cause serious disruptions in service delivery to the consumers throughout the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said, “the Commission approved resource sharing by operators throughout the period of COVID-19 pandemic.” These include fibre optic cables and other resources in the event of cable cuts and other unforeseen developments.

“We also ensured that the service providers meet the needs of their teeming consumers by securing Right of Passage (RoP) for all telecommunications officials and staff for easy movement during the lockdown. This was to ensure ease of movement to service base stations and other telecom facilities and equipment,” among others.

The ECSM called on all stakeholders to join hands with the Commission in enlightening all citizens on the need to protect the telecom infrastructure in their domain without which quality of service delivery will be hampered.

He noted the numerous complaints received from consumers by the Commission since the outbreak of the pandemic were indicative of the widening gap between the consumer QoS and the QoE provided by the service providers, which, according to him, needed to be addressed.

He charged operators on the need to increase and improve their network capacity following the unprecedented increase in consumer demand.

“Also, service providers must embark on pervasive consumer education and enlightenment campaign about data usage and billing to ensure their subscribers have all the required information to make informed decisions so as get value for money spent. Operators also need to train and equip their customer care personnel on consumer complaint management as well as ensuring that consumer complaints are resolved conclusively and in line with the revised Service Level Agreement (SLA),” Adewolu said.

He warned service providers to refrain from indulging in unwholesome practices such as modification of data plan without informing the consumers, putting out promotional advertorials without prior approval by the Commission, changing the names and nomenclature of promotions from what was approved, among others to short-change the consumers, warning that the Commission will not hesitate to sanction erring operators.

The ECSM noted that the Consumer Code of Practice requires that once a contract agreement is signed, both parties should adhere to the contract terms and conditions and where a change is required, the validity period should end before any modification is effected.

Signed:

Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde
Director, Public Affairs

Telcos record 9,077 service outages in Q2 2020, says NCC

Telcos record 9,077 service outages in Q2 2020, says NCC

 …Charges stakeholders on telecom infrastructure protection

 …Warns service providers against unwholesome practices

Major mobile network operators (MNOs) in the country recorded 9,077 cases of service outages on their networks in the second quarter of the year, resulting in unexpected disruptions to operators’ network quality of service (QoS) delivery and intermittent quality of experience (QoE) by the consumers, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said.

The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management (ECSM), NCC, Mr. Adeleke Adewolu, disclosed this in a presentation delivered during the first Virtual Telecoms Consumer Parliament (VTCP) hosted by the Commission recently in Abuja.

According to Adewolu, of the 9,077 service outages recorded by the operators, 3,585 were caused by incidences of denial of access to telecoms sites for maintenance, 4,972 were triggered by incidences of fibre cuts from construction activities and vandalism while 520 cases were as a result of incidences of generator and battery theft at sites.

Adewolu, however, noted that in a proactive step to mitigate the challenges, the Commission had swiftly responded by taking some major decisions to mitigate any unforeseen challenges that may cause serious disruptions in service delivery to the consumers throughout the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said, “the Commission approved resource sharing by operators throughout the period of COVID-19 pandemic.” These include fibre optic cables and other resources in the event of cable cuts and other unforeseen developments.“We also ensured that the service providers meet the needs of their teeming consumers by securing Right of Passage (RoP) for all telecommunications officials and staff for easy movement during the lockdown. This was to ensure ease of movement to service base stations and other telecom facilities and equipment,” among others.


The ECSM called on all stakeholders to join hands with the Commission in enlightening all citizens on the need to protect the telecom infrastructure in their domain without which quality of service delivery will be hampered. He noted the numerous complaints received from consumers by the Commission since the outbreak of the pandemic were indicative of the widening gap between the consumer QoS and the QoE provided by the service providers, which, according to him, needed to be addressed.

He charged operators on the need to increase and improve their network capacity following the unprecedented increase in consumer demand.

“Also, service providers must embark on pervasive consumer education and enlightenment campaign about data usage and billing to ensure their subscribers have all the required information to make informed decisions so as get value for money spent. Operators also need to train and equip their customer care personnel on consumer complaint management as well as ensuring that consumer complaints are resolved conclusively and in line with the revised Service Level Agreement (SLA),” Adewolu said.

He warned service providers to refrain from indulging in unwholesome practices such as modification of data plan without informing the consumers, putting out promotional advertorials without prior approval by the Commission, changing the names and nomenclature of promotions from what was approved, among others to short-change the consumers, warning that the Commission will not hesitate to sanction erring operators.

The ECSM noted that the Consumer Code of Practice requires that once a contract agreement is signed, both parties should adhere to the contract terms and conditions and where a change is required, the validity period should end before any modification is effected.

Signed

Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde

Director, Public Affairs

August 26, 2020

RIGHT OF WAY: NCC IS READY TO COLLABORATE WITH UK PROSPERITY FUND – NIGERIA PROJECT

RIGHT OF WAY: NCC IS READY TO COLLABORATE WITH UK PROSPERITY FUND – NIGERIA PROJECT


In line with broadband masterplan and deepening the broadband penetration in the country, Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) speaks on the contentious issue of Right of Way (RoW) and the need for stakeholders to work in harmony in order to ensure that the nation meets its broadband masterplan. He made his position known at a virtual forum organized by the British Government’s Prosperity Fund’s Digital Access Programme in collaboration with Nigerian Communications Commission and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy.


The Commission stated that it is poised to maximize the benefits of digital transformation and understands clearly that resilient Telecoms Infrastructure is the key enabler in delivering ICT services. In his presentation, Danbatta opined that the contribution of this conference will assist the Government in further reducing the impediments bedeviling ICT infrastructure, especially in the provision/ building of resilient fixed Infrastructure in the federation.


Speaking during the event, the EVC said “The ubiquitous broadband will propel social and economic development and growth of citizens, as in; local content development & innovations, the proliferation of ICT industries, building digital skills, etc. The NCC on its part is ready to collaborate with the UK Government Prosperity Fund-Nigeria Project, especially on the subject matter of today, i.e. reforming the administration of RoW and planning permits in Nigeria.”


On the side of high taxation from the various state government, the EVC assuaged the telecom providers on the strides and efforts that the commission is doing to ensure that harmonious taxing regime is brought to the sector. He added that “We also, encourage our service providers to appreciate some of the challenges faced by the state government and hope this will enable them to collaborate with the state government to effectively overcome the challenges.”


The Commission congratulated and thanked the UK Government Prosperity Fund Digital Access Project team for organizing this event.


“The Commission commends the robust contributions of all stakeholders and the general support of the UK Government to Nigeria’s digital transformation processes, in particular to this event. It is a conversation of ideas that will support existing policies and commitment to Broadband for all”, Danbatta concluded.


This virtual forum is coming at a time that the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) members lamented on the high taxation been meted on them by various state government as a result of laying of fibre optic cables in their various states. The commission over the years has played the roles of regulation, intervention and also mediation in various issues between the state governments and telecos. The EVC promised that RoW issue will be put to rest in a matter of time, this would enable Nigerians to enjoy high speed broadband across the nation as the commission preps itself for the emergence of 5G technology which it is at the forefront in the continent.

ANTHONY EMEKA NWOSU

USSD: Banks owe Telcos N17bn, says Danbatta

USSD: Banks owe Telcos N17bn, says Danbatta

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has said that commercial banks in the country are owing telecommunications companies over N17 billion following the regulator’s suspension of its Determination on Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) Pricing last year.

The NCC, in furtherance of its mandate to protect the interests of consumers and support a robust telecommunications sector, recently announced that it had revised the Determination on the USSD.
Speaking at ATCON’s virtual forum on “Meeting the Interests of Government, Consumers and Telecoms Companies in the Era of Covid-19 and Post Covid-19 Pandemic for Digital Economy Development”, Danbatta noted that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ali Isa Ibrahim Pantami had already been briefed on the development with a view to ensuring a quick settlement of the debt.

Explaining the Commission’s efforts at resolving consumer-related issues, he noted that when the Commission introduced the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) code in 2015, less than 500,000 people activated the code, but there are now 22,722,366 lines on the DND.

Danbatta further stated that ninety-eight per cent (98%) of the total service-related complaints received from telecoms consumers within a 15-month period, spanning January 2019 to April 2020, have been successfully resolved by the Commission.  

On quality of service, Danbatta said “the Commission has monthly engagements with operators as well as quarterly industry working group on Quality of Service and Short Codes, and is currently monitoring 2G Key Performance Indicators, while the KPIs for 4G are being prepared.”

It should be recalled that the NCC, in a statement released to the media recently, observed that the amendment to its USSD Determination was necessitated by a protracted dispute between Mobile Network Operators and Financial Institutions on the applicable charges for USSD services and the method of billing. As a responsive and effective regulatory authority, the Commission recognises that its policies are not static and may be modified from time to time as circumstances demand.

According to Danbatta, in the interest of the consumers and other stakeholders, the Commission revised the Determination previously issued by removing the Price Floor and the Cap to allow Mobile Network Operators and the banks negotiate rates that will be mutually beneficial to all parties concerned.

The NCC also determined that Mobile Network Operators must not charge the consumers directly for the use of USSD channels for financial services in the form of end-user-billing, but revert to corporate billing. The transaction should be between the MNOs and the entity to which the service is provided (i.e. Banks and Financial Institutions).

NCC

NCC Revises Determination on USSD Pricing

NCC Revises Determination on USSD Pricing

…Initiates fresh engagement with stakeholders 

The Nigerian Communications Commission, in furtherance of its mandate to protect the interests of consumers and support a robust telecommunications sector, has revised its Determination on Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) pricing published on the 23rd of July, 2019.The amendment was necessitated following a protracted dispute between Mobile Network Operators and Financial Institutions on the applicable charges for USSD services and the method of billing. 
As a responsive and effective regulatory authority, the Commission recognises that its policies are not static and may be modified from time to time as circumstances demand.

This is coming on the heels of a recent directive by the Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, regarding a review of the USSD pricing by all parties involved, following a presentation made by the Commission on the billing structure, determination of USSD pricing, current status and the way forward.

Speaking during the presentation, the Minister stated that he took the decision to suspend the commencement of end-user billing (where the consumers are charged directly from their airtime balance for use of USSD channels as opposed to corporate billing where the banks paid the MNOs for the use of USSD service) because he was “genuinely besieged with a barrage of complaints at the attempted commencement of end-user billing by service providers.”The Minister also clarified that “USSD is a service to banks and not to the Telecom Consumers, and as such, banks should see themselves as corporate customers of telecom operators with a duty to pay for using the telecom network and infrastructure, including USSD channels extended to them for service delivery to their customers.” 
According to him, “Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have no direct relationship to bank customers, and cannot, therefore, charge directly for usage of USSD channel.”

The USSD channel has evolved over time from a telco-exclusive channel used for only telco services such as balance inquiry and recharges to a channel for the deployment of a broad spectrum of services, including financial, insurance, agricultural, government services and more. The use of USSD channel has become a critical resource in the economy even more so in this era of the Covid-19 pandemic that has witnessed a rise in reliance on digital services.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, in the interest of the consumers and other stakeholders, has revised the Determination previously issued by removing the Price Floor and the Cap to allow the Mobile Network Operators and the banks negotiate rates that will be mutually beneficial to all parties concerned.

The NCC also determined that Mobile Network Operators must not charge the consumers directly for the use of USSD channels for financial services in the form of end-user-billing. The transaction should be between the MNOs and the entity to which the service is provided (i.e. Banks and Financial Institutions). 

A copy of the Determination is available on the NCC’s website, www.ncc.gov.ng.

Signed

Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde

Encomiums as Sonny Aragba-Akpore bows out of NCC

Encomiums as Sonny Aragba-Akpore bows out of NCC

…He served NCC creditably well, says Danbatta

It was encomiums galore recently as Management and Staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) bid the Commission’s Head of Media Management and Public Relations, Sonny Aragba-Akpore, farewell following his retirement.

Aragba-Akpore, former Information and Communications Technology/News editor at the Guardian Newspaper, joined the service of the Commission in 2014.

Speaking at the valedictory party held in his honour on Thursday, July 16, 2020, which was attended physically and virtually by staff of the Commission, the Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, appreciated the level of professionalism Aragba-Akpore brought to bear on his work at the Commission.

Represented at the event by the Director, Projects, Abigail Sholanke, Danbatta commended Aragba-Akpore for using his many years of industry experience and knowledge as a media professional and corporate communication manager to create a robust relationship with both mainstream and online media stakeholders, which, he said, has contributed significantly to the overall positive image and favourable public perception of NCC.

“On behalf of the Board, Management and Staff of Commission, we wish you a successful retirement and fruitful engagements in your future endeavours,” Danbatta said.

In his remarks, Director, Public Affairs Department, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, said “within the short time I worked with Mr. Aragba-Akpore, I found him to be a man of uncommon passion for his work,” describing him as a very committed and hardworking colleague. “We, therefore, wish you increased divine favour, as you retire from the services of the Commission.”

Other staff of the Commission, including directors, deputy directors, middle management staff, among others, took turns to talk about the favourable working relationship they had with Aragba-Akpore while at the NCC and wished him well in his retirement life.

Responding, Aragba-Akpore expressed gratitude to the Management and Staff of the Commission for their support and cooperation during his service and for organising a befitting valedictory ceremony in his honour, saying he enjoyed working with the NCC.

“This is one event I will not forget in a hurry. Indeed, I feel I am very lucky and singularly blessed and very appreciative of the privilege to work with a leading telecoms regulator like the NCC. For me, it is once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said.

Signed:

Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde